Hey artparty!
I’ve been working a lot on the make-up design for the Duchess and figured this post would be about that. I’m considering lots of concepts (manicheism being somewhat central– light/dark dualism, chiaroscuro), also how to balance the awesome wire-inspired costume design, how to make faces show up in the dark (Mary wants glow in the dark and I’m on board), how to indicate character/relationships (making siblings similar), and how to complement (not overwhelm) actors’ performances.

Because the show will be so movement based, I’m also thinking about ways to incorporate masks into the design. Particularly, I’m looking into Commedia dell’Arte characters. We’re in Italy after all (traveling from (a)Malfi to Milan to Ancona), and I’m hoping to get into regional tropes.
from Naples:
Pulcinella (he’s mean, vicious, crafty; plays dumb to get information out of people)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulcinella

Tartaglia (the stutterer)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartaglia_(commedia_dell%27arte)

also, the definition of darkness:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkness

So I got a little carried away…

Please post comments/ideas!

xoxoJojo

First of all, I love all the ideas. Without ideas there is no art, no creativity…and silence, darkness, wires, wheelbarrows, burning pianos…those are some IDEAS! 

Speaking of raising a lot of money to burn pianos and the like…it would be interesting to have a fundraiser that incorporates artistic collaboration. I’ve been experimenting with some mixed media visual art in hopes of doing a collaborative project. The idea is that each person picks a medium (paint, oil pastel, paper, rose petals, hair, etc.) and a concept (love, cello, grass, justice, etc.) and weaves his or her idea into the collage. It would be interesting to have creation stations at a fundraiser. Then we could turn these collaborative works into set pieces in an upcoming show! I think people would be excited to see how the piece turned out and how we incorporated it into our play.

I’m not great with visual art, but I love playing around as a way of getting in touch with creativity on another artistic level. To give you an idea, here’s what I did to experiment with mixed media at 3am to sort out thoughts after acting class last night. It combines paint, paper, oil pastels, a piece of hair (oops) and a couple of concepts:

art.party.love,

Carolyn

Hey party.people, 

It’s Thursday and I can hardly contain my excitement about the BLOG. This past weekend, art.party.out.reach, the VERY NEW part of art.party dedicated to collaboratively creating new works, debuted “BIG LOVE” in At Hand Theatre Company’s spring benefit: Pop and Death, at 440 Lafayette Studios. 

The piece was about a very fat man (Kyle Davies) who decided, due to outrageous mass fitness media (by the diabolical dr. Ludva - me-  and Doug- Mark Fisher), that it was time to get rid of his Fat (lovingly personified by Megan Campisi).

One of my favorite things about the piece was how unapologetically silent it was. I’ve been thinking a lot about silence, and how important it is in order to draw the audience in and create a world- especially in relation to MALFI! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 Mary

Hiya folks!

As ArtParty begins preparing for it’s upcoming Party experiences, we’re getting the wheels turning on the design side of production! Without giving too much away yet, let’s just say there will be a lot of wires in our collective futures…

Check out these amazing wire-fashion sculptors that are being added to the list of “inspiration”:

Susan Freda: http://www.susanfreda.com/SimpleViewer_v17/index.html

Leigh Pennebaker: http://www.leighpennebaker.com/

Enjoy!

Alex

One of the great things about ArtParty is our mission; it’s how Mary and I see theater. That is to say, how the company sees and celebrates theater. For me, it’s pretty simple; theater is a story told in a surprising way.

As Mary and I were talking on the phone yesterday, brainstorming about the upcoming productions (and we all know how valuable brainstorming is!), I was struck but how Mary and I were continually looking for ways to (as I would say) “violate the expectation.” Not to pat ourselves on the back, but ArtParty is always asking “How could this be better?” and “What would the audience not expect?” to make our productions the best they can be without resulting to crazy crap. When I see theater I don’t feel as though the creators went back and said “Why are we doing X this way? That’s exactly what everyone is going to think of.” Or they did say that to themselves and then inserted some crazy crap. Distant and right–that’s what we’re going for. That’s what make the audience work.

That’s why, at an ArtParty, people are hiding behind couches, doing magical dances, using fireworks indoors, and putting you in the dark. Because we know you like surprises. (Speaking of surprises, Romeo Castellucci.)

Babies! Pianos! Hundreds of People! (Hey ArtParty, let’s raise a lot of money and do something like this, non?)

Hurrah for surprises!

Lots of love,

JB

We had a major ArtParty meeting this weekend to plan out our summer/fall projects…get excited!! I’ll save the details for future posts and other company members, but in the next few months, we’ll have wheelbarrows, tulle, flashlights and toilet paper…

Here’s a snapshot of some of the company members during the reading of The Dutchess of Malfi:

Stay tuned… xx Leticia

Ode to Art.Party
(a first draft)

As people file in and take time in their hands
And fill up their measures with meter and light,
As people approach with subconscious demands,
They wonder where you take them tonight.
What are you, who dare their minds’ dominion
Through momentary magic, and living props –
A goldfish named Jean-Bap-fish?
Who are you, who confront their good opinion
No matter where it plops
Or what its niche?

Watching and waiting, the thrilling expectation,
Before curtains part, doors open and close
To you we offer our fond contemplation
Our ideas, fancies, mysteries, woes.
We venture together, art.party, you and I,
With these musings we dabble, scribble and invent
We walk forward with purpose and find some way there.
We take what we’re choosing, whether we swim or we fly
We work and mold, trot, hop, skip with intent.
We take audience with us, for what we have, we share.

________________________________

Because I am obligated to Sundays, I am writing this post. I am distracted by my own indecision. What format is best for this, my first post? I choose collage/poem/list/epistle.

Things I appreciated this weekend:

1. Readings! First The Duchess of Malfi and then Bottled Up (Erica Lipez’s graduate playwriting thesis). Two immensely satisfying experiences.
2. Masks! So excited about the transformative qualities of truly workable masks.
3. Mothers! I love my mother every day, but I count other mothers on this day. To me art.party is a mother, of sorts. A magic mother, nurturing new ideas. Perhaps she’s a crazy aunt who gives fun gifts and teaches you how to play canasta. I am excited to explore the relationship, whatever it might be.

So, art.party.  That’s what I’ve got so far.  I’m excited for what’s to come.

Much love,

Jojo

Hi Partiers,

Wanted  to let you know about a fantastic MASK PIECE that was collaboratively developed by art.party.out.reach (spearheaded by KYLE DAVIES).

The piece is called “BIG LOVE: the story of a man and his fat” and will premiere this weekend- Friday, May 8, Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10 at 8pm at At Hand Theater Company’s “DEATH BY POP” benefit at 440 Lafayette Street, 440 Studios (How’s that for a lot of prepositional phrases?).

Come join us!

-mary